[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 142 (Thursday, September 12, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S6032]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3269. Mr. KAINE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2025 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle H of title X, add the following:
SEC. 1095. ADDITIONS TO ROUGH MOUNTAIN AND RICH HOLE
WILDERNESSES.
(a) Rough Mountain Addition.--Section 1 of Public Law 100-
326 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; 102 Stat. 584; 114 Stat. 2057; 123
Stat. 1002) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(21) Rough mountain addition.--Certain land in the George
Washington National Forest comprising approximately 1,000
acres, as generally depicted as the `Rough Mountain Addition'
on the map entitled `GEORGE WASHINGTON NATIONAL FOREST -
South half - Alternative I - Selected Alternative Management
Prescriptions - Land and Resources Management Plan Final
Environmental Impact Statement' and dated March 4, 2014,
which is incorporated in the Rough Mountain Wilderness Area
designated by paragraph (1).''.
(b) Rich Hole Addition.--
(1) Potential wilderness designation.--In furtherance of
the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.),
certain land in the George Washington National Forest
comprising approximately 4,600 acres, as generally depicted
as the ``Rich Hole Addition'' on the map entitled ``GEORGE
WASHINGTON NATIONAL FOREST - South half - Alternative I -
Selected Alternative Management Prescriptions - Land and
Resources Management Plan Final Environmental Impact
Statement'' and dated March 4, 2014, is designated as a
potential wilderness area for incorporation in the Rich Hole
Wilderness Area designated by section 1(2) of Public Law 100-
326 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; 102 Stat. 584).
(2) Wilderness designation.--The potential wilderness area
designated by paragraph (1) shall be designated as wilderness
and incorporated in the Rich Hole Wilderness Area designated
by section 1(2) of Public Law 100-326 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note;
102 Stat. 584) on the earlier of--
(A) the date on which the Secretary of Agriculture
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') publishes
in the Federal Register notice that the activities permitted
under paragraph (4) have been completed; or
(B) the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of
this Act.
(3) Management.--Except as provided in paragraph (4), the
Secretary shall manage the potential wilderness area
designated by paragraph (1) in accordance with the Wilderness
Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.).
(4) Water quality improvement activities.--
(A) In general.--To enhance natural ecosystems within the
potential wilderness area designated by paragraph (1) by
implementing certain activities to improve water quality and
aquatic passage, as set forth in the Forest Service document
entitled ``Decision Notice for the Lower Cowpasture
Restoration and Management Project'' and dated December 2015,
the Secretary may use motorized equipment and mechanized
transport in the potential wilderness area until the date on
which the potential wilderness area is incorporated into the
Rich Hole Wilderness Area under paragraph (2).
(B) Requirement.--In carrying out subparagraph (A), the
Secretary, to the maximum extent practicable, shall use the
minimum tool or administrative practice necessary to carry
out that subparagraph with the least amount of adverse impact
on wilderness character and resources.
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